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Friday, August 20, 2010

Mexican Rice

Events in our corner of the world move quickly and prove, yet again, that the indefatigable Murphy is alive and well and looking for any excuse to further test his law and all its corollaries. To wit, the washing machine stopped mid-cycle this morning, no doubt aping the control panel of the oven which chose to go black during preparations for last night's dinner. I sought solace at the computer, only to find that several small pair of hands had created a screen resolution previously unseen by mankind. My composure remained intact until dinner this evening, when our 3 year old grandson, whose dad is a minister, announced, following grace, that "Opa talks to Jesus lots." That, of course, caused me to choke on my water before finally surrendering to the limitations of the day. Now, back at the computer with the strange resolution, I have another rice recipe to share with you. Anyone who spent a portion of their childhood in the late forties and early fifties can tell you about Spanish rice. It was a commonly served dish that was as good or bad as the cook who made it. Most versions of the rice were made with tomato soup and ground beef that could be quickly assembled and on the table in minutes. A few lucky souls got to have a more authentic Mexican rice which was considerably more flavorful than its Spanish cousin. There is a fine line that separates the two. Most people believe Spanish rice gets its color from saffron, and that Mexican rice gets its color from cumin and tomato. If you look at the large number of recipes that exist for both types, I'm not so sure that's really true. At least not anymore. The recipe I used as my inspiration was developed by Emeril Lagasse and he really blurred the lines between the two. I have altered his recipe to suit our tastes and eliminated ingredients such as lard and saffron. This is a great dish for lunch and I've yet to come across a teen age boy who does not love it. They accept it for what it is. Good basic food that's inexpensive and easy to prepare. I hope you'll give this dish a try. It's really good. Here's the recipe.

Directions:1) Heat oil in a medium-size heavy saucepan set over medium-high heat until it shimmers. Add pork and cook, stirring until no longer pink. Add sausage and cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Add onions and bell peppers, and cook, stirring, until soft, about 3 minutes. Add garlic and cook for 30 seconds. Add rice and cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Add tomatoes and cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Add the stock, salt, and turmeric, and stir well. Bring to a boil. Lower heat to low, cover, and cook undisturbed until all liquid is absorbed, about 20 minutes.2) Remove from heat and let sit, covered, for 10 minutes. Uncover and fluff rice with a fork. Add the oregano and cilantro, and stir to incorporate. Turn into a decorative bowl and garnish with green onions. Serve immediately. Yield: 6 to 8 servings.

Your post makes me smile :D It's always so wonderful to have kids around! Love your Mexican rice. I have fallen in love with Mexican food lately. It is delicious...mmmm. Hope you have a wonderful day. Mary

Mary, I'm bookmarking this! The recipe sounds awesome and am going to make it this weekend. Thanks again. Hope you're having a fabulous time with your family. Kiss kiss little chubby for me.Cheers, kristy

Thank you Mary. I so needed that giggle. We had one of those days yesterday too, but without the grandchildren to brighten it. I do remember my mother making boxed Spanish rice (the only kind she made)I'll be trying this onexoxo Pattie

Sounds really good Mary. My mom actually made a homemade version that I really liked and wish I had the recipe for to this day - along with several of her others. Our appliances, cars, etc also seem to frequently go down in two's and three's as well.

My mother made Mexican rice for us weekly and I still haven't found a recipe to duplicate that dish. How I wish she would have wrote them down. This looks close to hers, I think I'll have to try it. I'll let you know how it goes:) Thanks Mary!

We love Mexican rice Mary, so I'm bookmarking your recipe-it sounds so tasty with chorizo which will be a great main dish for us.Murphy's law is always alive and well isn't it-hope your appliances behave better today!As I write my 14 month old granddaughter is destroying the living room with toys, finding every particle that the vaccum didn't, and she just ripped a book cover off of my book. It's time for a nap-for both of us! :)

I laughed out loud reading your post!Aren't grandchildren wonderful! Thanks for sharing this Mexican rice recipe, I can't tell you how many bad versions of this recipe I've had over the years! This looks like a good one and I will bookmark it for later, thanks Mary:-)

Kids always make life more exciting! I'm sure you have so many fun memories with your grandchildren...they are lucky to have you guys! Thanks for this delicious version of Mexican rice...I need a new recipe to serve with all the tacos we've been making!

Mary, good recipe! I made a Spanish rice dish two nights ago and similar in ingredient as yours, except I used a package of (on-hand) ground beef, added a can of kidney beans, a little corn and we loved it.

You have made my weekend!! You gave me such a long, hearty laugh that my nasal congestion is gone! I read you aloud to my husband then we both laughted aloud! I still make Spanish Rice, but without meat. I use tomato sauce. This looks really good! You have a wonderful gift for both humor and language. Here's what you should be doing. Have your own cooking show on the Food Channel, and be funny!

in the deep south of Georgia when I was a child, spanish rice was rice cooked in tomatoes instead of water. the rice was red not white.loved your story of Murphy's Visit and he visits us on a regular basis and his motto is my motto. great post

This looks great and I'll bet the turmeric gives it a lovely hue. Right now I'm cooking out of one of my Rick Bayless books and while I love his recipe, this one looks even better than the one in the book -- not too heavy on tomatoes. Thanks for posting.

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